Traveling refrigerating plant



H. R. Ross. TRAVELING REFRIGERATING PLANT.

APPLICATION FILED DEC- 22,1919. I

Patented Sept. 14, 1920.

ATTYS Hh huHH III...

H. R. ROSS.

TRAVELING REFRIGERATING PLANT.

APPLICATION FILED 0Ec.22,1919.

1 ,352, 5 33 Patented Sept. 14, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

0000000 000 one 00 00000 INVENTOR HENRY-RUSS ELL- R055 ATTYs.

UNITED STATES PA N OFFICE.

HENRY RUSSELL BOSS, .015 ST. JOHN, NEW BRUNSWICK, CANADA.

TRAVELING- REFRIGERATING PLANT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 14, 1920.

Application filed December 22, 1919. Serial No. 346,760,

-volati1e liquid or substance such as ammonia, carbon, dioxid, etc., for the purpose of cooling, within the car, arefrigerating fluid such as brine, and also adapted to circulate the brine through a refrigerator car coupled to the housing car, and to return the brine to the housing car for re-cooling,

the organiaztion being such that theoperation of coupling'a refrigerator car to the refrigerating plant completes a brine-circulating system adapted to conduct cooled brine from the refrigerating plant'to and through the refrigerator car, and from the latter back to the former.

' The invention is embodied in the improvements hereinafter described clalmed.

Of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification,-

Figure 1 'is a longitudinal section of a housing car and a side elevation of a refrigerating apparatus contained therein,

parts of the apparatus being shown in section.

Fig. 2 is aplan view of the refrigerating apparatus, and a horizontal section of the car.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the refrigerating apparatus.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the figures.

- In the drawings, 12 represents a housing car carrying the elements next described.

13 represents a compressor. of any suitable type, adapted to compress ammonia, carbon dioxid, or any volatile liquid or substance used for refrigerating purposes, and hereinafter called the refrigerant.

The shaft 14 of the compressor may be driven by any suitable motor, such as a steam engine 15, operated by steam from a locomotive boiler conducted through a pipe 16. When steam power is not used to pro-. pel the train of which the car 12 formsa and 'unit, the compresser maybe operated by an electric motor 17, or by an oil or a asolene engine, power being transmitted t erefrom to the compressor shaft through a belt 18.

. A condenser provided for liquefying the refrigerant, may lnclude a series of parallel conduits or headers 19, connected by transverse conduit portions 19 as shown diagrammatically by Fig. 3, the upper header 19 receiving the refrigerantjrom the compressor 13 at 19". The headers 19 and connecting portions 19 constitute, in effect, a refrigerant-conducting casing. The condenser also includes a sinuous cooling pipe 19 extending through the casing headers 19, and adapted to conduct cooling fluid through the headers to liquefythe refrigerant therein. The lower header delivers the liquefied refrigerant at 19, and through a pipe line 31 to a receiver 21, in which a suitable charge of the refrigerant is stored.

In practice I prefer to provide two series of connected headers 19, as indicated by Fig. 2, each series being connected with the compressor and with the receiver, and each having a cooling pipe 19.

A cooler is provided for the refrigerating fluid, such as brine, which is to be circulated through a train unit constituting a refrigerator car, or through a plurality of such I units. 7

The simple form of cooler shown by Fig. 3, includes an evaporating conduit, here shown as a coil 22, connected at one end with the receiver 21, and at the opposite end with the compressor 13, and a brine reservoir 24 containing said coil. In practice I prefer to embody the evaporating conduit in two concentric coils 22 and 22, connected in series by an intermediate pipe portion 22*, as shown by Fig. 2, and both contained in the reservoir 24,-. The refrigerant passes first through one coil, and then through the connecting portion 22 and through the other coil. The brine reservoir should be provided with a heat-insulating jacket.

The refrigerant is conducted under condensing pressure and in liquid form, from the receiver 21, by a pipe line 27 to the inner coil 22. The liquid evaporates at a low pressure and temperature, in the coils 22 and22, taking heat from the brine in the reservoir 24, which is kept continuously full of brine by means hereinafterdescribed.

The vapor formed by the evaporation of the refrigerant in said evaporating conduit densed into a liquid by the action of cool water circulated through the condenser cooling pipe line 19, preferably by means hereinafter described.

The condensed or liquefied refrigerant is conducted from the delivering end of the condenser casing by the pipe line 31, to the receiver 21, the circuit of the refrigerant being thus completed. The described circulation of the refrigerant is continuous, so long as the compressor is kept in operation. 1

To conduct the cooled brine from the refrigerating plant to the refrigerator car, I provide a flow pipe line 32, one end of which is connected with the outlet of a brine pump 33. The intake of said pump is connected by a pipe line 34 with the lower portion of the brine reservoir 24. The pump, therefore, draws cooled brine from the brine reservoir and forces it through the flow pipe line 32. Said line extends to one end of the car 12, and its outer end is provided with a flexible conduit member 35, adapted to be coupled to a refrigerator car 12, which is provided internally with brinecirculating means.

To conduct the warmed brine from the refrigerator car back to the brine reservoir, I provide a return pipe line 37, extending from a point at the end of the car 12 beside the outer end of the flow pipe line, to the reservoir 24, and adapted to discharge brine into said reservoir. The outer end of the return pipe line 37 is provided with a flexible conduit member 35 for connection with a complemental conduit member on a re turn main carried by the refrigerator car.

in a concurrently filed application, I dis-- close a refrigerator car provided with the above-mentloned longitudinal flow and. re-- is a reservoir 39, m'mtaining a body 39" of water. 40 represents a water-circulating pump, the intake of which is connected by a pipe line 42 with the reservoir. The outlet of the pump 40 is connected by a pipe line 43 with the cooling pipe 19, so that the cold water from the reservoir is circulated through the condenser casing to take up the heat of compression of therefrigerant, forced through the casing by the compressor. 7,

After the cooling water has passed throughthe cooling pipe in' the condenser casing, it is conducted to the upper portion of the cooling tower by a return pipe line as, provided with a water-distributing header or manifold 45, adapted to subdivide the water into a multiplicity of small streams. These fall onto a perforated horizontal plate 46, the perforations of which are formed and arranged to cause the water to fall like rain, evenly on to a tier of grids 47, formed by closely spaced slats or strips through which the water drips from grid to grid until it reaches the reservoir 39.

.The descending drops meet andare cooled by an ascending current of air induced by the motion of the car, an air duct 48 being provided which extends from an opening in the roof of the car to the lower portion of the tower. Air is guided into the upper end of the duct 48 by a shutter or deflector 49, which projects above the roof of the car to act as a scoop, takin air into the duct and causing it to rush (own the same at a velocity dependent on the speed of the train. The air is delivered by the duct into the lower portion of the tower and passes from thence u wardly through the grids 47,,perforated p ate 46, and the upper end of the tower,cooling the descending water in its passage, the upper end of the tower being in communication with the outside air through a suitable opening or openings in the roof of the car,.or elsewhere, so that the ascending air escapes freely.

Power may be transmitted from the compressor shaft 14: to the shafts of the brine pump 33 and water-circulating pump 40 by a belt 51 running on a pulley 52 on the compressor shaft, and a pulley 53 on an intermediate shaft 54, and by belts 55 and V 56 running on ulleys on the shaft 54:, and on the shafts of said pumps.

It will now be seen thatI have provided an incomplete brine -ci'rculating system, which includes the brine reservoir 24, the

brine pump, the flow pi e line 32, and thereturn pipe line 37. Sai system is adapted to be completed by connecting the flow and return ipe linesto flow and return mains carried by'the" refrigerator car shown by my concurrently pending a plication.

It will also be seen t at I have provided. a complete refrigerant-circulating system, which includes the evaporating conduit in the brine reservoir, other parts of said system being the compressor 13 and the re- I conduit members and 36 completes the brine-circulating system.

ceiver 21.

The two systems meet and cooperate at the brine reservoir.

The refrigerating plant embodied in the housing car 12, and. the apparatus carried thereby, constitute an element of a combination whereof a refrigerator car 12 and brine-circulating means carried by it, constitute another element.

Said brine-circulating means, shown in part by Figs. 1 and 2, and more. fully by the drawings of my co-pending application above referred to, may include flow and return mains 60 and 61, extending lengthwise of the car 12*, branch pipe lines 62 and 63, extending upwardly from the said mains at one end of the car, and a plurality of circulating conduits 64 connected with the said branch lines, and adapted to circulate brine horizontally in the upper portions of the car 12*, the arrangement being such that brine withdrawn from the brine reservoir 24 by the brine pump 33, flows in the flow pipe line 32, the flow main 60, the branch pipe line 62, the circulating conduits 64, the" branch line 63, the return main 61, and the i. return pipe line 37, back to the brine reservoir 24:.

The operation of coupling together the The described brine circulating apparatus may be utilized for heating, instead of cooling a refrigerator car or cars.

I claim:

1. A traveling refrigerating plant comprising a housing car, a brine reservoir therein, abrine pump having its intake connected with said reservoir, a flow pipe line communicating with the outlet of the pump and extending therefrom through the rear end of the car, a return pipe line extending through the same end of the car to the reservoir, said flow and return pipe lines being provided with means outside the car for connection with flow and return pipe lines on a refrigerator car, a complete refrigerant-circulating system carriedby the housing car and including an evaporating conduit within the brine tank, a compressor, a conduit constituting a condenser element and a receiver, said compressor, condenser element, and receiver being connected in series with the evaporating conduit, whereby a volatile refrigerant may be supplied in liquid form to the evaporating'conduit, and conducted in gaseous form therefrom, the said condenser element being provided with a. coolingconduit for cooling the refrigerant in its passage from the compressor. to the receiver for completing saidbrine-circulating sysreservoir, in which conduit a volatile re- 2. A traveling refrigerating plant substantially as specified by claim 1, said cooling liquid-circulating means being organized to subdivide the cooling liquid at a given point, and allow the subdivided liquid to fall through an air space, the car being provided with means for inducing an upward flow of air through the falling subdivided liquid.

tem, ajcomplete refrigerant-circulating system carried by the housing car and including an evaporating conduit within thebrine frigerant in liquid form may evaporate to take up the heat of-the brine in said reser-' voir, a compressor, means for conducting the evaporated refrigerant fromthe said evaporating conduit to the compressor wherein the refrigerant may be compressed to a 9 liquefying pressure and temperature, a receiver, a cooling tower having a liquid reservoir at its base, an air duct extending from the exterior of the car into the coolingtower and adapted to induce a forcible flow of outside air into the lower portion of the tower, when the car is in motion, a water-circulating pump, a pipe line connecting the tower reservoir with the intake of said pump, a pipe line connecting the discharge of the said pump with the condenser cooling pipe, I and a return pipe line extending from the cooling pipe to the cooling tower, water-distributing means being provided within the tower adapted to present the downwardly flowing returned water in subdivided form,

to air passing upwardly through the tower,

a flow pipe line communicating with the discharge of the brine pump and extending to one end of the car, a return pipe line extending from the same end of the car to the brine reservoir, the said flow and return pipe lines being provided outside the car with flexible conduit members, adapted to be coupled to complemental members connected with flow and return mains on a refrigerating car, a motor, and driving connections between the motor, the compressor, the brine pump, and the water-circulating pump.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature. 

